Northern lights and sunset
Taken August 4th with Nikon D750 and 35mm lens
Taken August 4th with Nikon D750 and 35mm lens
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Aug, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the lake we camp at about an hour north of Edmonton, AB. I am a self-taught photographer and have a fascination with northern lights and to be able to capture them and the pink sky at the same time was a thrill.Time
This is my all time favorite picture I have taken and the first one that I had printed out on a large canvas so I can see it and remember that night! It was taken on August 4, 2017, just before midnight. We could tell at our campsite that the northern lights were out so my son and I ran down to the dock to try to take pictures. The whole show lasted about 5 minutes but I was able to capture this shot! Night photography has different challenges, we got down to the dock but had no flashlight so we were fighting with the tripod to get it situated as fast as we could.Lighting
The pink sky in the photograph was a bonus for me. I was shooting with long exposure to capture the northern lights but didn't realize the sky still had so much pink in it from the sunset. To say I was excited is an understatement.Equipment
Photo was taken using my Nikon D750, Nikon 35mm lens, manfrotto tripod, and Nikon remote shutter release.Inspiration
Since getting into photography recently, I have been fascinated with the northern lights. I have captured many images from my yard in Northern Alberta, but I always wanted to get them over a lake. Thankfully, this night we were still up and saw the northern lights were out. I begged my son to come down to the dock with me, because I am afraid of the wildlife, and he agreed. I think he was just as excited as I was to see the pictures once we pulled them off the camera. It was a once in a lifetime shot - I haven't been able to duplicate it.Editing
I processed this photo in Lightroom and applied noise reduction because the long exposure did cause some noise. If there is one thing I have trouble handling is noise in night time photography. My friends tell me I am the only one that sees it but I still like to add a touch of noise reduction to the photo. That was the only adjustment made to this image.In my camera bag
My camera bag normally consists of my Nikon D750, my favorite 35mm lens, as well as my new Sigma art lens. I always have my tripod near me for the night time photos!Feedback
To capture the northern lights you have to be in an area away from any city lights. We live in a rural area so I can often capture them in my yard. For them to be out in August is rare so I had to jump at the chance when I saw them. Most of my images of the northern lights are between October and May. I have found many apps for my phone so I can see the predictions for them to be out and then plan accordingly. It is a wonderful experience to be able to see and capture the northern lights but this image was a once in a lifetime shot!
